NORMAN BOWLER
Norman Clifford Bowler (born 1 August 1932 in London) played Frank Tate from 1989 to 1997. Upon leaving school, Bowler worked briefly in his fathers watchmaking business before sailing with the Merchant Navy as a deckboy for two years. His interest in acting led him to take a part-time course at the City Literary institute and act in repertory theatre. Not long after making his debut on the stage, Bowler got a seven month contract with MGM, first appearing as a soldier in Tom Thumb. Bowler moved to America for three years where he appeared on Broadway in The Caretaker. On television, Bowler was best known for appearing as detective Harry Hawkins in Softly Softly (1966 - 1969) and its sequel Softly Softly: Task Force (1969 - 1976), with other notable appearances including Harper West One (1961), Maggie's Moor, and A Little Silver Trumpet (both 1980). From May 1986 to March 1987 Bowler appeared in Crossroads. In November 1989 Bowler joined the cast of the newly renamed Emmerdale as part of the shows new direction, with the Tates' becoming the new focus of the show. "They very quickly made the Tates' the centre of the action", he said, speaking to Anthony Hayward in 1997 for The Emmerdale Companion. "They wanted to get away from the sleepy reputation the programme had." Some of Bowler's most memorable scenes during his time in Emmerdale included when Zoe came out as a lesbian, and Frank's struggle with alcoholism. After seven years on Emmerdale, Bowler told the producers he wanted to leave in late 1996. Originally he only wanted time off to do a play, and producer Mervyn Watson agreed to him taking 4 months off, but then he decided to quit for good. Speaking to Fiona May of The People in February 1997, he said ""I hope they don't kill me off - I'd rather go quietly. But it's time to call it a day. Emmerdale has asked me to think about going back part-time but I don't think I'll do that." Ultimately Frank WAS killed off, in May 1997. Speaking to The Emmerdale Companion about his departure, Bowler explained: "I never thought I had a job for life in Emmerdale. I came for one year and stayed seven and a half. I hope I've given some pleasure to viewers, but I'm of an age where I need to move on. I need my own space." In April 2002, Bowler appeared on After They Were Famous where he said of Emmerdale that "It took over my life and I had to reclaim it", also admitting that he hated fame and found it an intrusion. Other television appearances since his departure include Soap Fever in February 2000, and a part in Living in Hope in 2002. In 2010, Bowler took part in an unusual theatrical production organised by Bristol theatre company Show of Strength for Trading Local, which supports independent traders. The event featured actors performing in unusual spaces in Brislington, with Bowler appearing in a library, a convencience store and a charity shop. Bowler has primarily kept himself busy in other ways since leaving the soap - studying art in his hometown of Bristol, and raising money for charity through his hobby of walking, including a 100 mile trip up the Himlayas in 2000, depsite recently having undergone a hip replacement. The climb was for orphan charities, having already sponsored two orphans in Nepal with his third wife of over thirty years, Diane. Bowler has four children from his three marriages, although it emerged in 2009 that Joshua Bowler from his first marriage was actually the biological son of a future baron. Bowler now spends eight months of the year in India where he supports the Auroville Trust and teaches drama and English. In August 2012 Norman released a Spoken Word recording of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' to raise money for the Auroville Trust. This is available as a download at http://lanternmanproductions.bandcamp.com/ Category:Actors